Aslaug's Axe Shed

When I recently returned to PF, I said I’d be active once more … and then I vanished again. I apologize, but there’s been a good reason. You see … I am moving. Not just as in packing up my belongings and skedaddling off to Aalborg fifteen miles away or even to Copenhagen on the other side of the country. No, I’m MOVING.

In fact, I’m moving to Dublin. Yep, THAT Dublin. In Ireland. The planeticket is bought, my home is packed in boxes, my furniture is ready to get moved … all in all, I’m set. I just need to get all my paperwork taken care of, I need to meet with my bank-advisor, and I need to finish at the museum the day after tomorrow.

Why am I doing this? Because hopefully, by tomorrow noon, I have a job in Dublin. Hopefully. I have a telephone interview tomorrow morning and if that goes as I hope, I’ll have a job as per the 7th of March.

Why now, and why this massive a move?

I’ve been unemployed for three years. Even though I’ve worked for two years out of those three, I haven’t REALLY worked. Not if you ask the lawmakers at least. No, I’ve been “activated”. Which means I had to do a job … a regular, full-time job … and I wouldn’t get a penny out of it. I’d still only get unemployment benefits, I’d still only get the same money I’ve always gotten … and the job I did, wouldn’t count towards a new unemployment benefits period. Why’s that? Because around here, if you’re unemployed, you’re seen as little better than a criminal. I’d rank unemployed people in Denmark somewhere between burglars and vagrants in the eyes of the government.

I’ve tried for three years. And lately, I’ve felt like my unemployment agency doesn’t really believe like I’ve been doing enough to get a job. It may just be a gut feeling with no basis in reality, but that’s what it feels like and I don’t like that. So … I’m moving. Ireland has jobs for Danish-speakers, believe it or not. A lot of companies have their international offices there, because of the tax-system in Ireland being favorable. So that’s what I’m doing. And why. I’m moving, because I’ve sent off over seven hundred job applications over the last three years, and I’ve been to precisely FOUR job interviews, and two of those were just for show since there were already someone lined up for the job …

Four job interviews in three years, and hundreds and hundreds of polite letters, telling me that unfortunately the job has been given to someone else.

It’s soul-crushing to put it in plain English. It’s mind-numbing and it’s deeply depressing.

No one is EVER going to point a finger at me and say I’m lazy or that I don’t do enough to get a job, though.

So I’m moving. If this isn’t enough to prove that I’ll go to any lengths to get a job, I don’t know what is. But as it is, I don’t need to prove myself to anyone.

I’ll be flying out on the 4th of March. The ticket has been bought. Even if I don’t get the job I’m interviewing for tomorrow, I’ll still be going as there are other jobs to go for, once I’m there.

I’ll be quiet while I get set up and until I have a new apartment and such. I’ll make sure Bastion gets some chapters sent to him so he can update for a while.

Take care until I get back. And I’ll see ya soon.